Paint shields for masking the edges of carpets or of a floor while painting the bottom portion of an adjoining wall are known, as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 695,965 to Taylor et al, 3,693,589 to Knox, 3,788,274 to McNaughton et al and 4,051,808 to Trupp. Such paint shields are in the form of a hand tool, generally shaped as a rectangular plate having a downwardly turned edge flange, the tool being placed at the edge of the floor or carpet, with the edge of the downwardly turned flange engaging the junction between the wall and the floor. As painting progresses, the paint shield is manually displaced along the bottom of the wall such as to shield the carpet or floor at an area corresponding to the area of the bottom of the wall being painted. Such prior art paint shields present the inconvenience that a relatively large portion of the shield is in contact with the carpet, which causes a pronounced drag as the paint shield is manually moved along the junction between the carpet and the bottom of the adjoining wall as painting progresses, some of the paint wetting the shield may drip from the ends of the shield and mar the carpet or floor, they are difficult to use when the carpet is covered with a protective drop cloth as the drag on the drop cloth tends to displace the cloth and, when provided with a handle, their relatively high profile prevents using the shield under furniture, cabinets or low bookshelves, and the handle makes it difficult to paint the portion of the wall opposite the handle.
British patent specification No. 1,400,406 discloses an "Interior Decorators' Aid" in the form of a rigid plastic strip, generally L-shaped in cross-section, which is pre-scored along transverse lines at 90.degree. to the edge of the strip and at 45.degree. to the edge of the strip, such that the strip may be broken off and mitred in appropriate predetermined lengths. Although the strip material paint shield of the British patent specification remedies some of the inconveniences of the portable manually displaceable paint shields of the prior art, the strip of the British patent specification, being provided with reinforcing ribs and being rigid, is difficult to cut at lengths other than the pre-scored lengths, and comes in lengths which render a bundle of strips difficult to transport and awkward to handle. Due to their length, the strips, after use, are difficult to store if it is desired to salvage them for ulterior re-use.